The Sweets
by Neo Genesis1
Summary: Death Sentence:: 5 Times Challenge. Being a part of the gang meant first names become obsolete. So it was always a surprise when Billy uncharacteristically used hers, and used it right. One-shot.


**Disclaimer:** Don't own Death Sentence or any of the characters associated with the movie and the novel it was based on. Anyone else you see is mine.

**Author's Note:** I got the idea of a 5 Times challenge from reading way too much Supernatural fanfiction. The OC belongs to a much greater brain storm titled Happiness Is a Warm Gun that has yet to make itself onto teh internets.

I still don't have a beta, and this prompt was written in a few hours, so don't bust my chops too much over mistakes, please.

**Dedications:** To me, 'cause it's my birthday and I have every right to spoil myself

The Sweets

1.

It was summer and the heat was pressing in from all sides because the sun dominated a cloudless sky above and the hot pavement below pushed it right back up. Despite this, Lady had parked herself on the curb outside her apartment, fuming because she was only thirteen and her brother was a jerk.

The twenty bucks she'd managed to scrap up over the weekend babysitting the Clem siblings had somehow made it's way to Bodie's pockets. But she couldn't do anything because he was older and mom was at work and all the screaming in the world wouldn't change the fact that her money had been turned into a six pack of Coors, one dime bag, and some skank named Naomi that asked her if she could find something to do outside for a few hours.

So she sat there, watching the kids playing in the parking lot and wishing she had a least some change to buy a popsicle from the candy man. That's when the car pulled up, a fresh coat of black paint shining in the afternoon sun. She frowned as she stood, dusting off dirt from the back of her shorts as it stopped short before her. The passenger window rolled down and Billy looked over at her before looking at the building behind her.

"Where's you brother?"

She sneered. "Inside with some girl."

He nodded, hands gripping the steering wheel a little tighter before he turned his attention back to her, giving her that predatory look that always made her feel scared and fluttery at the same time.

"They kick you out?"

She nodded and he sighed as he reached over the seat and opened the door.

"Get in the fucking car, Ladybug. Before you get heatstroke."

She didn't bother to think about it, just did as he demanded. As she pulled her seat belt on she saw Precious coming down the stoop. Judging by the look on her face as they pulled off, Lady knew that there would be new gossip at school come Monday.

She asked him once where they were going but he just shrugged and turned the music up louder as he sped down the street. She didn't bother to bitch as him. Only because he'd fixed the air conditioning finally and she didn't want to start a fight that ended with her being dumped on some street to walk back home in the heat. So she sat there, watching him out the corner of her eye while she wondered why he was being nice at the moment when most of the time he made her life a living hell.

They ended up at the movies, where he let her pick the showing and even bought drinks and popcorn that was too salty. They sat in the back and she had to keep jabbing him with her elbow whenever he tried to slip his arm across the back of her chair. He just laughed, something that was so rare that she let him get away with his antics a few times. Though it was hard to convince herself that she didn't really want him to do it.

They drove back to her apartment in silence and when they pulled up to her door he stopped her from getting out with a hand on her shoulder. She turned to look at him, confused by the intensity in his blue eyes and hoping that he wouldn't do anything that made her already pounding heart stop altogether.

Pushing some of her braids behind her ear, he licked his lips before leaning in. "That movie sucked, Jeanne. Next time I'm gonna pick."

All she could manage was a nod before giving him a hasty goodbye and going inside. As she made her way to the bedroom she shared with her mom she had to wonder if she was more confused by his use of her birth name or the fact that he was thinking about their 'next time.'

2.

The numbers just weren't adding up and she had to fight the tears that were threatening to be released as she tossed the papers to the other side of the table.

She just didn't have the funds. Boston University was giving her a fair amount of grants and the such, but even with it all she'd spend most of her life paying back student loans. Chewing on her bottom lip, she picked the roach end of a blunt out the ashtray and went to the stove to light it.

Hearing footsteps behind her she turned to see Joe standing before the fridge, a sloppy grin on his face.

"Thanks for having us over, Lady." He pulled to door open and held up a Becks, "And for providing the libations."

She shook her head, smiling at his drunken swagger as he made his way over to her tiny table and plopped himself down in the other chair. She took a hit and passed the weed to him before sitting down herself.

"Don't expect it to happen anymore. Between school and rent I won't even have money to eat."

"Tuition that bad?"

She shrugged, glancing over the kitchen bar to see her brother and several other members of the gang involved in a heavy game of cards in the living room. It had been a regular occurrence since Bodie had been kicked out of his apartment the month before. She spent most of the time feeding and cleaning up after them, but it made the place feel more like a home. And it was nice to look forward to something other then television, take out, and tons of medical books to study.

"I can't afford this Joe." She sighed, "I can either front the money for next semester and be on the streets. Or I can find another job and hold off going back to school."

"Don't worry about it, Lady." He said as he stood and took a huge gulp of his beer. Burping, he winked at her. "It'll work itself out."

She huffed as he walked away, heading for the bathroom down the hall humming a Wu Tang song with her green burning itself out in his hand. She admired his optimism but she knew the reality of things. She would become another dropout stuck in their shitty part of town with nothing but a bunch of hoods to keep her company. It depressed her enough to make her go to bed early.

When she woke up and stumbled into the kitchen the next morning she was surprised by the envelope sitting in front of her coffee machine. Recognizing Billy's scrawl as she picked up the bulging white paper, she ripped it open to see what was inside.

The seven grand that she needed to cover up what her student loans didn't was a huge surprise. Seeing her name written out by his hand was enough to make her cry for the first time since her mother died.

3.

He picked the lock to her front door when she was in the shower, so it was one hell of a shock to find him standing in her kitchen when she went to get a glass of water. His cheek was swollen and there was a fresh cut on his chin, bleeding freely down his neck and soaking his shirt.

She didn't ask what happened. There was a routine to it all by now. They skirted past the important things like feelings and the truth and did what needed to be done at the time. So she pulled out her first aid supplies as he pulled up a chair. They both took a shot of rum, so he'd be a little more numb and so she wouldn't loose her cool while suturing up the one face that still made her stomach turn when it was abused.

It wasn't the first time and she knew it wouldn't be that last the she played nurse to his wounds. But somewhere between the final stitch and his ruined shirt being tossed into the trash a switch was flipped. She found herself pressed onto her unstable breakfast table and his mouth was hot and demanding as her robe disappeared and there was no resolve to stop anything.

Her name slipped off his tongue just as easily as he slipped into her. Somehow, despite the friction and the weight, the push pull that was almost painful, her muddled mind knew that if he hadn't owned her before he certainly did now. Because all it took was one whispered Jeanne and her heart was blooming and breaking at the same time.

4.

The Butcher didn't know if he could remove the bullets without Billy bleeding out and all she could do was stand there and hand him the tools he needed to save the life of a man that had taken everything she'd been able to give and still demanded more.

She knew it would end this way. Tried to prepare herself for it and was even able to keep a straight face while blood dripped onto the floor and his lips turned blue. But then he looked at her, his eyes actually showing something aside from anger, or lust, or madness. She'd been prepping another syringe when he tilted his head and smiled. And there it was. Sadness. Guilt. Remorse. And something else...

"I'm sorry Jeanne."

She frowned, about to ask him what for. Because her list of things he never apologized for was turning into an anthology and if he was going to make amends now he might as well specify.

Then his eyes went blank and The Butcher was shouting about paddles to get his heart started again.

She didn't remember much after that. All she knew was that if his eyes could convey the simple words she'd been waiting to hear for so long, then he damn well could stay alive long enough to _say_ them.

5.

It took her a few hours to realize what he'd done. She'd been too busy trying to get dinner on the stove and washing clothes for the rest of the week to pay attention. But as she poured out the dishwasher he snuck up behind her and pressed his lips to her temple.

"Come to bed."

"Let me finish this up first."

He exhaled into her hair before snaking his left arm around her stomach and that's when she looked down and saw the bandage wrapped around his finger.

"Damn it Billy. What did you do now?"

She was turning even before he answered, years of training kicking in as she pulled the tape off to check the damage. That's when she saw it, in simple bold letters inked around his ring finger, which was still swollen from the needle. She pulled back, brow raised as she looked at him.

"You could have at least asked me first."

He rolled his shoulders, freeing his hand from her own before grabbing her around the waist and hoisting her up onto the counter. His fingers trailed across the small of her back, feather light against the tattoo that had been there for some many years it was in need of a touch up.

"You got your brand. Now I've got mine."

"Asshole." She muttered as she wrapped her legs around his middle. "And you still haven't asked me."

He sighed, kissing the pulse at her neck before breathing against her ear.

"Marry me?"

"Hmm." She closed her eyes, arms finding themselves around his back. "Let me sleep on it."

His answering chuckle made her shiver as he dragged her away from the counter, cutting off the light as he padded to the bedroom. She didn't need to sleep on anything. Just wanted him to work for it. By the end of the week both of their bandages were gone and the names etched into their skin was starting to scab over and peel.


End file.
